The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 639: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Ten: Crisis of Faith

Chapter 639: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Ten: Crisis of Faith

The chaotic situation in Jazair seemed to have no sign of easing. Although the beastmen’s offensive had temporarily halted, they still gathered their forces around the region of Jazair. The Blue Dove Corps had retreated to the second defensive line, a line of fortresses built around the cities of Nerian, Mans Tayn, and Schleswig. The Blue Dove Corps, over ten thousand soldiers strong, along with local border guards, were positioned here. Beyond this arched defensive line, what used to be the most prosperous and fertile fields of the northern kingdom had now become a hunting ground for the beastmen. It was the only remaining defensive perimeter around Jazair and, should it fall, Jazair would be left exposed to the beastmen’s sharp claws and teeth.

The wealthy of Jazair had begun to evacuate their assets from the city en masse, with important family members quietly moving south to the safer areas of Cologne and Yun Damei, nearing the Galle Province. Although these places seemed somewhat safer, everyone was aware that if the beastmen broke through Jazair, those areas would suffer the same fate, and transferring assets to Cologne and Yun Damei wasn’t considered very safe. But looking around, there seemed to be few places in the kingdom outside the threat range of the beastmen.

At this time, Gran’s investment solicitation in Jazair appeared, and the canal project from Mattdam to Lake Niall piqued the interest of some traders. More importantly, it caught the eye of the kingdom’s wealthy, who had been keeping the remote regions of Caucasus and Leon off their radar; finally, they began to consider these areas.

Mattdam had already made a name for itself between the Nether Sea and the North Mediterranean. Despite restrictions by the Homer Navy, these wealthy individuals had some influence and were able to maintain a trade route from the inland canal through Odessa to Mattdam. Furthermore, the shipping routes connecting Mattdam to ports along the Mediterranean coast were flourishing despite harassment from the Wicked Dragon.

The opening of the Catania River route also connected the secluded Caucasus to the world outside. The Catania River could smoothly link the Caucasus with various kingdoms and cities along the middle and upper reaches of the river, easily solving food supply issues. The ports of Mattdam and Bahomon could fully satisfy the export of resources from the Caucasus and the import of goods from outside. And if the almost exaggerated canal from Mattdam to Lake Niall were to be successfully constructed, even Leon could join the entire water transport system. Just thinking about the high-quality iron ore from Izmir continuously shipped out through cheap water transport revealed the immense economic opportunities hidden within.

While the stock subscription for the Mani Canal was ongoing with great vigor, a large number of displaced northern traders and the gentry had set their sights on the Caucasus and Leon. Seeing cities and fortresses in the north turn to ruins under the beastmen’s savagery, they lost faith in returning and hope. Finding a more reliable refuge became their most urgent issue, and naturally, Gran became their primary consultant.

Puber had not realized that his old friend’s investment solicitation in Jazair would trigger such a significant ripple effect. The wandering northern nobles and traders had lost confidence in the kingdom. Those who were once hailed as the kingdom’s guardian spirits, the army and the untouchable Paladins of the Church of Light, either utterly defeated or quietly disappeared in the face of the beastmen’s violence. Their properties, houses, and land were swept away. Losing everything, they fled south in panic, and now they had to strive for finding another way out.

Seeing the messages sent back by Puber and Maha Gummi, Komer fell into contemplation.

According to Maha Gummi’s reports, these economically established northern gentry, merchants, and citizens were certainly disappointed with the kingdom, but they were even more disillusioned by the performance of the Church of Light, in which they had placed great hopes. Faced with the pressing presence of the beastmen, except for the Light Mages among the Kingdom Mage Group, the Church of Light seemed reluctant to dispatch more mages, responding lukewarmly to repeated pleas for help from the Central Kingdom. They either refused on the grounds that the Church temporarily lacked sufficient mage power or used the excuse that they needed the Pope—currently in seclusion and meditation—to agree before they could proceed.

Meanwhile, the Court of Faith, which had always maintained a tough stance on the beastmen, suddenly fell silent. Noyola, who was once regarded as a madman and a fanatic, had now become the savior in the eyes of the northern gentry and merchants. However, this so-called savior shockingly sent all the elites of the Court to the South in the name of exorcising demons and defending the faith, leaving only one priest behind to oversee the North. This turn of events gradually directed the resentment and hate of the northern gentry and merchants towards the Church of Light. Unable to protect themselves from the slaughter and violation by those faithless beastmen during a crisis, the kingdom could certainly be discarded, but the faith that had long been a spiritual refuge began to collapse as well, albeit in an extremely subtle and gradual manner.

This was an opportunity, Komer mused silently. Of course, it was not just for the Caucasus and Leon. The pursuit of economic interest was undoubtedly an attraction for the northern merchants and gentry, but for the Dark Lineage, it represented boundless opportunities. In Komer’s view, the Church of Light and the Four Great Lords were acting foolishly and shortsightedly by punishing the kingdom for its disrespect towards the Church. Although such actions might undermine the kingdom’s authority and help the Four Great Lords exert control over these regions, further reinforcing the Church’s influence, they seemed to have forgotten the viewpoint of the gentry and the public who once lived in the directly governed territories of the central kingdom. The collapse of faith surpassed everything. To regain the trust of these now bewildered people would require much more effort, perhaps ten times as much, and also the right opportunity. And now, Komer could very well prevent the Church from having that opportunity.

In the Caucasus region, the situation was such that the once-dominant Church of Light found no advantage in spreading their doctrine. People from Myron, Meine, and Susoer were clearly disappointed and dissatisfied with the role played by the Church when their countries and cities fell, and while this wasn’t enough to shake their faith completely, their trust in the Church had certainly declined, and their enthusiasm cooled significantly. The missionaries of the Church of Light faced an unprecedented cold reception during the fundraiser for constructing a new Church in Mattdam—it was far from the expected amount. This left Priest Beran and Pastor Gustav deeply disappointed.

Leon once represented another hope for Priest Beran and Pastor Gustav, but the situation in Leon only added to their disappointment. The newly liberated slaves, whether Half-Beastmen or Mortals, had no goodwill towards the Church of Light. In their eyes, the Church would always side with the nobles, helping them to exploit and oppress them—of course, Lord Komer being the exception.

The entire territory under Lord Komer’s control seemed to be permeated with mistrust towards the Church of Light. Priest Beran and Pastor Gustav had discussed this uneasy sign and trend many times and had reported it to Bishop Tulado, Archbishop of the Homer region. They attributed this disquieting tendency to three main reasons: the overly large proportion of extraordinary races in the Caucasus and Leon, the misunderstandings of the immigrants about the Church of Light, and Lord Komer’s overly lenient policy on faith and so-called equal opportunities for proselytization. While the first two reasons could only be improved through persistent effort over time, the third reason could be addressed by exerting pressure on Lord Komer.

What troubled Beran and Gustav, however, was that this Great Lord appeared to rarely stay in Ugru; his whereabouts were unpredictable, and he might even silently venture off to Bohemia and Rosenborg. Even when he was in his own territory, he was more often seen in Leon or other places like Santiago and Bahomon. By the time Beran and Gustav learned that the Lord had returned to his mansion and hurried over, they frequently found themselves arriving to an empty house, with the Lord having already begun his next inspection tour.

And on the rare occasions that they did meet Lord Komer, although they seemingly received his understanding and support, and Lord Komer even expressed his willingness to cover the shortfall of funds promised for the construction of the Church with money from his own mansion, the overall situation in the area experienced little real change. The worship of the War God Mars was becoming more and more widespread among the Half-Beastmen, and amongst the Mortals, the adoration for the War God was also growing. Merchants were devout followers of the Sea God Poseidon and the God of Commerce Mercury, while farmers revered Demeter, the Goddess of Harvest, and Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt. The Dwarves loudly professed their allegiance to Vulcan, the God of Blacksmiths, and Bacchus, the God of Wine. The Elves favored Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty and Love. Although no one dared openly declare themselves as worshippers of Hades, the God of the Underworld, this chaotic mix of faiths still troubled Beran and Gustav.

They did not know what had gone wrong, why the faith of the people in this place was so lacking that they would disdain the great God of Light, Apollo, and turned instead to worship in old, long-forgotten deities. Such a situation had never occurred elsewhere; even in the south, where the Dark Forces prevailed, the struggle was mainly between the followers of the God of Light and the God of Darkness, rather than the bizarre circumstances here. Could it be that this region was indeed cursed by a Demon God?

(To be continued. For what happens next, please log in to WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters, support the author, support authorized reading!)